The Forever Land
by Son Rhandi
Summary: Zarbon, no longer able to live under Frieza's fearful shadow, conspires with the Ginyu Force to escape the tyrant's grip. However, can he bolster enough courage to take the reins of his own freedom? A/U
1. Prologue

_Disclaimer: I make no claim to DBZ. I'm just funnin' with the characters for a while. _

_Author's notes: I recently re-watched the Namek saga (Ocean dub) and felt like breathing some new life into that particular niche of the fandom. Also, I've never written Zarbon with a prominent part before, so this is mainly an experiment to see if I can fit back into my writing chaps. Enjoy?_

**"The Forever Land"**

By Son Rhandi

**Prologue**

From the time that we are young and able to think in words, a road is set in place by our parents. This is the road that we first follow, as is instructed by our caretakers. As it happens in the lives of all sentients, that road will eventually fork. One is the road where things are good and safe, and that is mostly where we stay in our youth. And that's fine. The other road is where bad things happen, where it is unsafe. Any decent parent will do his or her best to steer the child away from that place.

As it happens, though, the world is not so cut-and-dry, and we, in living life, discover that although the road will fork for a time, the paths will eventually cross. Sometimes, the good is swallowed up by the bad. Those paths intertwine, and sometimes, the two can't be separated. _I wonder, when did those paths cross?_ Zarbon mused as he plaited his hair just so. His shift was to begin soon, and his appearance had to be flawless, perfect…

A reflection of his lord.

Satisfied with the knowledge that every hair was in place, the Azureman exited his quarters. Dodoria was already there and waiting in the hall, slumped against the wall as he was ever morning. They gave each other a respectable nod, then made their steps briskly to their master's chamber.

It wasn't constantly that he thought this way, but at certain times, the notion would gnaw at the back of his mind. If those paths didn't become hopelessly entangled, if the road signs had not been switched, if the roads themselves had not changed without his notice, could he have lived differently? Could he have been free?

The first rays of sunlight painted the chamber, coating the room an inviting golden red, a true irony given the atmosphere of Freeza Planet 13 in general. Facing the large domed window, he didn't even have to turn in his hover seat to know who had entered. "Dodoria, Zarbon, how good of you to come."

The spiky one dropped to one knee and lowered his head. "Without fail, milord," he said with full confidence.

Zarbon mirrored his partner's gesture. "Where is our place but by your side, Lord Frieza?"

Those statements, though, were ones he **would** turn for. His eyes half lidded, Frieza pulled his pink face back into a most satisfied smile. Whenever he saw his master's smile, one that seemed to say, 'you are mine, you belong to me.' he would think, and he would wonder.


	2. The Frog Prince and the Town Musicians

**  
"The Forever Land"**

**Route 1: The Frog Prince and the Town Musicians**

Zarbon stirred from his slumber. One lid rose to reveal a golden eye, then the next. As his vision became increasingly focused and his mind aware, he was hit with the realization that his quarters were… extremely muggy, if the dampened tendrils of hair that clung to his face weren't enough of an indicator. Sighing, the Azureman turned his head slightly to look for his scouter. On top of the nightstand, as he had left it. With an arm that felt heavier than it should have, he tapped his machine's buttons for the clock function. 0437 hours. He would definitely need a shower, and if he expected to be on time for Frieza's morning briefing at 0600, he would have to do it soon. He resolved to put in a repair request to maintenance on his thermostat later and made his way to the showers.

* * *

_  
Sometimes, I genuinely hate dealing with this hair._

For all its beauty, those tresses took forever to dry. It could be moved along with a blow dryer, but Zarbon wouldn't hear of it. A damp mop of hair he could tolerate; split ends were something else entirely. In that world of fear and ugliness, he could at least ensure one thing of beauty: himself. Wringing out the last of the excess water into his towel, the golden-eyed gentleman threw the cloth into a nearby laundry chute then proceeded to wrap a fresh one around his waist. There was a point in his life - he was sure - that he had his own bathing chamber, none of this shared locker room business. The fact that he knew the water was recycled was enough to make him cringe. The last thing he would needed was one of those Ginyu fools to come in and decide to be funny while he was indecent. But then, would those clods even be up this early in the day? He smirked.

Thankfully, none had entered while he was showering, and he quickly proceeded to his locker to retrieve his armor and trinkets. He always felt a small wave of nostalgia when he adorned himself with his jewelry. He always kept them well-polished - the stones in question were similar to pearls - and he was never without them, save to bathe and when he slept. There were a symbol of those in service of the court, in the kingdom of the land of mirrored lakes. That place and that planet had been dead for years, but the only time he ever smiled genuinely was when he thought of those days. Back then, he had only been a captain of one of several platoons. He was no stranger to court politics, though, and when the time came, the transition from serving the conquered to the conqueror was not much of a hurdle to overcome.

He checked his scouter's clock again. 0501 hours. Right on schedule, and with enough time for a bite to eat. Having suited up and thrown his hair into its usual braid - looser than normal but still presentable - Zarbon made his way to the mess hall.

The Azureman already knew what was ok to eat and what he should stay away from at this point in the game. His usual was a citrus fruit with a starch or a grain to avoid an impromptu trip to the facilities, and usually a small amount of coffee or tea, caffeinated. This morning would be no different, at least with the food. Needless to say, it came as a bit of a surprise to see that the Ginyu clods were up this early in the day.

Recoom was the first to notice his presence, and with all the friendliness in his heart, called out to him. "Pantywaist!"

The other Ginyus erupted in laughter and Zarbon looked to the ceiling and sighed audibly. _Pantywaist. Right. That nickname._ Refusing to acknowledge their antics, Zarbon made for the table farthest from the five and sat facing away from them. Not picking up on the body language at all, Recoom made his way over and slumped into a seat facing the Azureman. "Whatcha doin' sittin' here all alone?" The behemoth rested his hand on his chin and put on his cheesiest grin.

"Trying to eat, if you don't mind," Zarbon closed his eyes and scooped a bit of pulp from his fruit, doing well to hide his annoyance. "That is what people generally come here to do…"

"Eh, don't mind that guy there," Jeice began, slinking into the chair to the Azureman's left. "He's just a little too excited about today."

Zarbon paused. "Today?" He took care not to sound too interested.

"Yeah!" Recoom chimed in again. "Today is the day Frieza gives us a new assignment!"

"I think you're assuming too much, Recoom," Berter chuckled, smoothly easing his way to the empty seat closest to Jeice. The two exchanged smiles briefly before the saurian continued. "Frieza is going to brief our force directly, but that doesn't necessarily mean we'll be shipped off someplace."

"Ehhh, you're no fun," the behemoth groused, further slumping into the crook of his arm. "We haven't been called out to any assignments for a while now..." He righted himself and rotated his shoulders, and with a partial pout added, "I'm bored."

"Well," Jeice chortled, shifting to stand. "Don't get too bored, mate." He poured himself a cup of java, working his way around Guldo, who was in the process of loading up his tray. "You'll catch holy hell from ol' Cap if you're caught yawnin' during this morning's briefing."

Zarbon stopped mid-sip. The insufferable Ginyu clods… would be at the six o' clock briefing? Had he not been such a master of the cool-and-collected façade, he'd have buried his face in his palm. Instead, he exhaled slowly into his drink, somewhat enjoying the resulting back draft of steam on his face. _These Ginyu are barely a step above Saiyans, but not even **they** would act foolishly when Frieza is to be heard. I've gotten through much worse in this job, I can surely get through being with them for an hour. _He checked his scouter's time again. About fifteen minutes until he needed to be at the central tower. Taking one final sip of his beverage, the Azureman rose and backed out of his seat. "Well, gentlemen, I wish I could say it's been fun…"

And then, at the moment, perhaps it was fun for some. For Zarbon, however, who had missed Guldo under his line of vision, and Guldo, who was too engrossed in the thought of breakfast to notice Zarbon's sudden movement, it was far from fun. In fact, it was downright embarrassing.


	3. The WellTrodden Path to the Lizard King

**"The Forever Land"**

**Route 2: The Well-Trodden Path to the Lizard King**

Ginyu was never really what you would call a patient man. Whenever he arrived on scene, he expected things to be set into motion from that moment on, and that was that. Idling was certainly not very stylish and he genuinely would rather have been off coming up with new poses for the team. The Dance of Early Morning Briefings had flopped with Frieza, and he was already treading on thin ice because of that. The Captain took care not to fidget. His lord and master was already irritated and could have gotten it in him to blast him just to hell at the slightest provocation. Nevermind that master was fidgeting in his own way.

His tail continually smacked the floor, coiling and thrashing in time. There aren't many that would have thought it, but Ginyu was an observant fellow. Freeza only thrashed his tail when he was thoroughly annoyed. The good captain could at least take solace in knowing that neither he nor his force were the source of the master's discontent.

Dodoria often let his temper get the best of him, but he was no stoop, or at least, not enough of one to fail to notice the tension in the air. Ogres had very keen senses of smell, and he could pick up the scent of the Ginyus' worry and Frieza's irritation quite nicely. If Zarbon didn't arrive soon, he'd have hell to pay, with plenty of debt left for the rest of them.

Then, as if on cue, the Azureman rushed in, traces of millet porridge still clearly visible on his uniform. He walked to Frieza in a straight but visibly panicked manner, dropped to one knee and bowed as deeply as his body would allow.

"I… I'm so sorry, Master Frieza!" He panted. "There was an… an incident… in the mess hall… that required my attention. Please, your forgiveness, sire…" He pushed his body to bow even deeper, his face twisting in a pained expression.

Frieza, unimpressed, extended his hand. The Ginyus' eyes widened. What he really going to do it? Was Frieza really going to kill his favorite? Zarbon felt the incoming heat, and shuddered inwardly. All his efforts to keep himself in Frieza's good graces, all laid to waste by 15 minutes of lateness? Not so. The heat in question was that of the master's hand, which gently brushed away a few specks of grit resting on Zarbon's shoulder guard.

He was glad to have kept his head so low. His cheeks sought to make public his embarrassment.

"If ever there is a problem, Zarbon," Frieza began with half-lidded eyes. "You'd do better to inform me first, before you risk earning a few more from me. Now rise."

"Yes, sire. Thank you, sire." Not wanting to keep his master waiting any longer, the Azureman quickly took his place at Dodoria's left, avoiding the ogre's quizzical gaze but well aware of the collective sighs of relief, fixed stares, and contained laughter of the Ginyu Force, in that order.

"So then, let's get down to business."

All the king's men snapped to attention at that. "As you all may have noticed," Frieza began, "The job queue in this sector has begun to dry up. Though there are still a few scattered planets around that have yet to be occupied, based on the reports, I feel those remaining can be left to the first-class Saiyans and a handful of our elites, if necessary." He paused to pour himself a glass of wine. Even by aristocratic standards, drinking so early in the day was a bit much, but who in his right mind would stage an intervention for the death god, himself? "That said," he continued. "I feel it's time we expanded the empire and set out to introduce ourselves to new sectors, so to speak."

The small master then walked to the control panel on the other end of the chamber. Setting the transmitter to the correct channel, Frieza called out. "Appule."

The eggplant lackey's visage blinked onto the screen within seconds. "_Yes, my lord?_"

"Please relay the discussed findings."

"_As you wish, Master Frieza." _He bowed his head then with a bit of quick typing, brought a galactic map on-screen. _"As shown here, this is a map of Optima galaxy southeast, our current station. The empire's emblem, of course, denotes our main HQ here on 13. The red dots indicate planets that have already been occupied by the Imperium Friezanum. The green ones are habitable planets that have yet to become integrated." _After a bit more button pushing, the map zoomed out. _"Here are the remaining sectors. Four planets have been occupied here in the southeast. The southwestern quadrant has three planets deemed suitable for use. The northeaster quad, two habitable with one moon available as a possible stow bay. Northwest quad, one planet, entirely gaseous. There are, however, two systems we've recently discovered that show some promise."_

Through a few more melodic beeps, eggplant displayed a split-screen._ "Through the information our satellite probes were able to gather, we've ascertained that in the Ttasiformes galaxy, shown at the left, contains a single sun and an oxygen-rich planet, somewhere between 20-25 percent. The satellites detected a structure large enough to be viewed from space, indicating sentient natives._"

Recoom's eyes gleamed at that. He crossed his fingers in hopes of a new assignment. _"The second," _Appule went on. _"Formally the Loriformes Galaxy, but also known as the Ark's Peril, due to the large expanses of asteroid fields all about the area. The satellite sent there was able to detect a platen with a single moon before unexpectedly going off-line, presumably struck by a wayward asteroid." _

"Thank you, Appule. That will do for now."

"_By your bidding, sire." _The connection closed with a concise little 'blip'.

The exchange ending, the lizard king turned back to his men. "There it is, laid out before you gentlemen. In two days time, maintenance on my ship will be complete. Once competed, Ttasiformes will be our target."

The Ginyu Force couldn't contain themselves. Their approving chortles and wide toothy grins broadcasted their excitement. "Zarbon, Dodoria…"

"Yes, sire?" They responded in unison.

"The two of you will go out as reconnaissance. When the time comes, ascertain whether there is indeed sentient life on the Ttasiformian planet, and from there, ascertain whether that life can be of use to us."

The handmen exchanged glances. "Sire, we are… reconnaissance?" The ogre's tone relayed a bit of disbelief.

"Is that a problem, Mister Dodoria?"

He shrunk slightly. "Er, not at all, my lord."

"And as for you and yours, Ginyu," Frieza turned to him. "Choose two of your men to accompany them as backup. They're both useful in their own ways, and I would be most displeased to lose them should the locals prove… difficult."

"Sir!" Ginyu barked with a salute, strangely gung-ho for the time.

"Good. I expect results, gentlemen. I'm sure none of you need to be told. You Ginyus are dismissed."

With simultaneous bows and grunts of confirmation, the Ginyu Force took their leave. Just before the auto port had the change to close completely, Guldo could be heard to say, in a voice not quite low enough: "Gonna be pickin' grits out o' my crotch for the next two days…"

The Azureman just managed to catch a snippet of their howls of laughter before the door shut, and his face and his palm became best of friends from that point on.


	4. Like Peas

**"The Forever Land"**

**Route 3: Like Peas**

A space pod.

He'd be riding in a space pod.

He couldn't even **remember** the last time he rode in a space pod…

When Frieza had told everyone that they would head out upon the completion of his ship's maintenance, he had assumed that he would be riding in said ship. He always did, so why should things be any different? Perhaps that was master's original intent, but an incoming transmission from King Kold the night before, one that requested his presence at an impromptu meeting of the Icejin clans (probably in regards to a territory dispute, he figured), his assumptions were shattered. Somehow, he felt Frieza was secretly laughing behind his back about the whole thing. The Ginyu Force as the sole exception, pods were for grunts of lesser importance, including but not limited to, those Saiyan sub-animals. And besides that, he was claustrophobic.

To make matters worse, the insufferable Ginyu clods were accompanying them as escorts. Escorts! To Frieza's handmen! As the final blow, Ginyu would be Frieza's acting retainer for the duration of the summit, in his and Dodoria's stead. Those cocky bastards were probably eating it up with a slice of pie on the side. Those same bastards were still determining who would come along on the Ttasiformes expedition through the bedrock of their politics, rock-paper-scissors. "What kind of world do those buffoons live in?" Zarbon muttered to himself, scowling all the while.

After best two out of three, Recoom and Jeice had won the right to annoy Zarbon. Guldo seemed genuinely relieved not to have to go, and Berter just crossed his arms, more disappointed about being stuck behind with the uncharismatic toady than losing the game.

"Well, gents," Ginyu addressed his men. "You know what is expected of you. Remember, this is a reconnaissance mission. REE-KON-UH-SENSE. So don't go blastin' the place to hell and back just yet. And whether you like it or not, the lapdogs are in charge, so don't give them too much trouble." The blue one's eyebrow twitched at the lapdog comment. The pink one growled, not helping their case any.

"Eh, no worries, Cap'n," said Jeice, itching to launch. "We'll blast on over, scope out the place, and be back in time for dinner before ya know it."

"Puh! If you think your dinner'll keep for the next sixteen days," Recoom began, adjusting his scouter. "Then you can have it. Be my guest. Take my portion while you're at it." A beep triplet informed him that his scouter had finished downloading their flight path. "It'll take six days to get there, four days to scout the place, and another six to get back, so hang on to your rations well, buddy." He ended in a chuckle.

"In any case, let's get going," Dodoria hissed, still a little sore about Ginyu's comment.

"Well, team, this is where we split. Go out with style!" The good captain gave them both a thumbs-up, the universal positive indicator.

The four stepped onto their individual carriers, slowly ascending to the launch pad above. "See ya, Cap! Bert! Guldo! We'll bring back souvenirs!" Jeice, carefree as ever.

"You guys!" Bellowed the behemoth. "Don't touch my chocolate stash! I know how many I have, an' I'll be countin' when I get back!"

Guldo gaped. That was actually next on his agenda. He kicked the tarmac, dejected. "You can **have** your chocolates!" Blue laughed, raising a hand in good will as the platforms carried them out of sight.

The platforms clunked a bit, then hissed as they reached their maximum height, perfectly level with the launch pad. The two Ginyus practically leapt into their pods, Dodoria clambering in after. Zarbon just stared at his, hesitant. "Hey, you coming or aren't you?" Asked the ogre, wonder what the hold up was. The Azureman looked to his partner, then to his pod, and back again, before surrendering himself to the situation and plopping into his vessel, a little downhearted. Shaking his head, spikes tapped his scouter to transmit. "Dodoria to control tower. Begin the launch sequence."

"_T-minus one minute to launch."_

Zarbon closed his eyes and tried to relax. Soon the sleep induction would begin. He just had to hold on until then.

"_T-minus 30 seconds to launch."_

Goldeneye did not remember the last time he'd entered one of these hell contraptions, but the memories of how it felt to be inside one were coming back on him and fast. The turbulence… The turbulence was not something he dealt with very well, and he found himself sincerely regretting having eating before blast-off.

"_Launch sequence complete! Lift off!"_

He probably could have held on, if the initial take off hadn't been so violent. Gagging, Zarbon quickly covered his mouth with his hands. He'd be damned if he was going to be covered in his own vomit for the next six days. With a hard swallow and a whimper, the Azureman reclined as best he could and awaited the deep sleep.

The remaining three looked on until their pods became twinkles in the sky. "Well, there they go…" The blue giant muttered to the sky.

"Well, men," Ginyu began. "I'm off to report to Frieza. Hold down the fort and work on your poses while I'm gone."

"Sir!" They barked, saluting proper. The minotaurus turned on his heel and made his way to meet his master. Berter looked after him a bit, but soon raised a quizzical eye ridge, aware of Guldo's gaze. "What?"

"Can I ride on your shoul--"

"Nothin' doin'."


	5. Kangaroo Dreaming

**"The Forever Land"**

**Route 4: Kangaroo Dreaming**

Six days spent dancing in the space. They touched down on the Ttasiformian planet on schedule, always a good thing. As the dust and debris settled, four mechanical sounds filled the air. Their pods opened one after the other, first Recoom, then Dodoria (breathing apparatus settled snuggly on his head), Jeice, and lastly, Zarbon. Goldeneye stumbled out as quickly as he could, letting out a huge sigh of relief and glad to be free of that shell and back on terra firma.

The four floated out of their respective craters and settled on the earth. Zarbon breathed sharply through his nose as he surveyed the area. Nothing but an expanse of red earth and orange sky as far as the eye could see.

"Sun's getting' low," Recoom addressed the whole of them, casting his gaze to the horizon ahead. "Deserts get pretty cold pretty quick at night." He then turned to the lapdogs. "You guys're leadin', so whaddya wanna do?"

Zarbon remained silent and let his scouter do the talking. He scanned the area for life forms within a 100-mile radius, but nothing registered within his field. "Well, if there **is** any sentient life on this planet, it certainly isn't anywhere nearby. It'll be difficult to spot anything of interest once night falls. For now, let's split into two groups and survey the area. Jeice, is it? You're with me."

"_Rorf_, told ya, dude," Recoom elbowed his orange comrade, playfully knowing and snickering all the while. Jeice just dismissed him and sided with the Azureman. Dodoria crossed his arms. "Guess that means I get the behemoth…"

"'Ey, my name's Recoom. Remember it."

"Yeah, yeah…" he muttered, fidgeting with his helmet, uncomfortably snug against his spikes.

"We'll reconnoiter and meet back here in two hours. Synchronize scouters." They all set their timers accordingly and set off, the ogre and the behemoth to the west, the Azureman and the Kaijin to the east.

* * *

"Pick yer pace, mate," said Jeice to Zarbon. He knew he could fly circles around his new blue temp any day of the week - they didn't call him the Red Magma for nothing - but Captain Ginyu told him and Recoom to play nice, so he would, if only as a courtesy to him. Goldeneye simply scoffed, although knowing full well the meaning behind Jeice's words. They roamed for the first hour, scanning the land from the skies above. Red earth and the occasional smattering of trees here and there comprised that first sixty minutes before something different came into view. That something turned out to be a settlement.

The two dropped down quickly, but with an air of caution, not really knowing what to expect. They had stumbled upon a village, it seemed. Pristine, clay brick huts, some with thatched roofs, surprisingly well-maintained in this seemingly harsh environment. "Would ya get an eyeful o' this?" The Kaijin breathed, taking in the village in a tourist's delight. "Guess there really **is** sentient life here. Beasts don't make this kind o' stuff, although I've seen some impressive termite mounds in my time…"

"Keep your voice down, moron," Zarbon hissed. "I don't want to risk any unnecessary confrontation between us and the natives."

"Of course **you** don't, not if it turns out they can whoop yer arse," he chuckled. "Don't you worry, Zar, that's why I'm here with ya, ain't it?"

The Azureman didn't reply. He was more concerned as to why he wasn't getting any readings on the scouter, despite having come across a settlement, one that was clearly still in use. He had heard of types that could conceal their power level, but… He simply shook his head and carried on, signaling for Jeice to look around at the opposite side of the village. Goldeneye crept inside a hut, sparsely decorated and not much to look at. There was a rectangular, wood framed platform at the far end of the room, a padding of dried grass systematically throw inside. He assumed it was their attempt at a bed. A few racks and shelves, also wooden, were backed again the wall housing terra cotta cups and plates.

He took the most notice of the few fetishes - three tiny sculptures of prick-eared beasts, clay like the hut in which they resided - sitting at the very top of the primitive display case. Confident that no one was about, he stepped in further and plucked the center fetish, rolling it around in his fingers. The creature was sculpted to be sitting with its knees drawn up to its chest. On both hands, each only with three fingers and one thumb, the forefingers touched their respective thumbs, while the remaining fingers were left extended. Its face, pulled back in a toothy grin, was beset by a broad nose and perfectly round eyes, accented with pricked ears shooting straight up. The fetish had an aesthetic quality that Zarbon couldn't deny, and so he kept it for himself, carefully tucking it into his leg sheath. Seeing no reason to stick around, Zarbon returned to the village's main thoroughfare and inspected a few more huts, not differing much from the first. Frustrated, he regrouped with orange partner to see if he had made any discoveries.

Such had not been the case, as he expected.

"It's no good, Zar," Jeice began, scratching his head. "Just a whole lotta houses with a whole lotta trinkets and not much else."

"Mm. It's almost as though the population just up and vanished…"

_Not vanished. Dreamin'…_

The Azureman spun around. "What?"

"What?"

"**What?**"

Jeice threw up his hands in defense. "I didn't say anything!"

He blinked, only half-believing him. He knew from experience that the Ginyu weren't above juvenile pranks. But as far as he knew, the Kaijin didn't have a repertoire of voice talent… Frustrated with the lack of progress and his company, Zarbon uncharacteristically threw down his hands, resigned. "Let's…" He sighed a bit. "Let's just get back…"

They were just about to blast off when Jeice's scouter chirped. _"Yo, Jeice!"_

"What's up, Recoom?"

"_Come to point 6824110! You have got to __**see**__ this!"_

"See **what**?"

After about 30 seconds of dead air, Jeice signed off, wondering just what had gotten the behemoth so excited. "Change o' plans, Zar ol' buddy," he spoke, stretching his legs a bit. "Looks like 'coom and Dodo-brain had a spot of better luck than us."

"Natives?"

Jeice shrugged. "Didn't say, but whatever it is, it practically left him speechless." Though, it wasn't often that the behemoth had anything of real merit to say, but he left that part to himself.

* * *

They arrived in just under seventy minutes, orange and blue, but they were able to make out what it was that shocked the sentient word out of Recoom in under sixty. At first, Zarbon thought it was a mountain range, but mountains peaked and fell; this just went on rolling in a perfect row, never changing. Picking up a power that was unmistakably behemoth, he veer east to his and Dodoria's location. The sky had darkened considerably from two hours prior, and the chill of a breeze blew through the Azureman, wondering if he should have opted for a full- body suit before the departure. The two dropped down to find Recoom pawing at the structure, while Dodoria stood at a distance, spiky arms crossed, seemingly having had his fill of the whole thing in the hour they'd spent waiting.

Zarbon gaped at the sheer size of the thing. It extended so far into the sky that his neck couldn't bend far enough to take all of it in, and if he looked to one horizon or the next, it seemed to snake on forever in either direction. Most notably, though, were the bas-relief carvings that covered the entirety of the wall. They were considerably worn, probably created long before his line was even thought about. Curiously, he ran a hand over a section. There was great usage of curvilinear designs, and well as what he could guess as being stylizations of humanoid forms, as well as designs that he couldn't place.

"Made from taipa, I'm guessing," Recoom blurted out somewhat absently, still feeling about every in and out available. Jeice joined his comrade in the scrutiny. It was different to see him fascinated with something other than his soaps, especially something with a bit of substance, though that had yet to be determined. He also kept that part to himself. "Well, I'll say this much: At least this proves that this mudball was able to sustain sentient life, at least at some point."

"Some point, nothing. It **still **can..!" Said the Kaijin excitely. "While you guys were pokin' around this place, Zar an' me found a village!"

"A recently abandoned village," Zarbon interjected, tugging his arm sheaths upward to shield from the chill of the wind. "But no sign of intelligent life to be found."

"I already told ya…"

They all spun around. "Dey did not vanish, nor leave out no place. Dey be…" The creature paused to bring his thumbs and forefingers together. "**Dreeeeeamin'**…" His toothy grin lingered long after his words.

The Azureman bristled. How in hell was this creature able to approach without the scouters picking it up? The creature in question grinned at them a little while longer from his sitting position, its gaunt brown body spilling out of a large red over-shirt and dingy, tattered shorts. It was offset by a greatly contrasting wide, strong jaw, shart cheek bones and broad nose. It eyes were like marbles, a glassy powder blue, so much in fact that he wondered if the creature was blind. Those large prick ears moved in opposite directions -- hard to ignore -- as though acting as its own scouter, and relaxing even more, scratched his neck with a four-fingered hand.

Narrowing his eyes, he brought a finger to his scouter and checked the thing's power level. The machine went through a round of beeps before settling on a power of 750. Zarbon scoffed and announced over his shoulder, "750."

The other three were taken aback. Power levels of 750 did **not **take the backs of Elites and beyond, and even a power that small would have been traceable. He wondered if the rumors of power suppression **were** real… "We was dreamin' a while…" It began again, tracing circles in the dirt. "Of rainbow men."

Rainbow men? He couldn't help smirking a bit. They **were** a rather colorful lot. "But we be feelin' great sorrow for de whole of ya," it continued. "Rainbow men got no dreamin'. Naturally……" It turned its head toward Zarbon.

"What do you call this planet?" Asked Jeice.

"Home."

"I mean, what is the name of this planet?"

"Dat, we be callin' Ganggur. Dat also be what we call ahselves." The Azureman was suddenly grateful that it at least spoke the Standard language, albeit a corrupt form. Finally, **something** of note to add to the report.

"And this?" Recoom piped up, gesturing to the wall. The creature regarded it thoughtfully, as if trying to place words. "Dat be dey bordah. Ya can't pass through if ya got no dreamin'."

"What are you talking about?" Dodoria spat. "We could fly right over this heap, or just blast our way through **if we felt so inclined**." He made sure to annunciate the last part.

Prick-ears nodded in agreement. "Oh, ya can fly and tear it down, dere's no questionin', but ya can't see what we see..."

They simultaneously turned to the wall, wondering just what there was to see other than red dirt on the other side. Zarbon turned again. "Which would be?"

They wouldn't find out today. Prick-ears vanished as quickly as he appeared. It was then, he realized it. He pulled the fetish from his sheath. It was the spitting image of the gangly humanoid, right down to the pointed, toothy grin. Replacing it, he wondered if these Ganggur people had some ability to manipulate time-space, in addition to being genuinely confusing creatures.


	6. What I Really Want

**"The Forever Land"**

**Route 5: What I Really Want**

"This is tomorrow's shot." His pudgy, clawed finger drew a circle in the dirt, further dividing it with an X drawn through. "Here's us in the eastern quad…" He poked a hole in the rightmost slice. "We know there are sentients here, but that's not to say that there isn't more than one type on this planet. It'd be best for us to take these next few days to find any others that can be of use to Lord Frieza."

Recoom scratched his head. "Wouldn't it be easier to, you know, ask the hairy dude about it, instead of zippin' all around the planet?"

Dodoria raised an eyebrow. "You want to leave the report to Frieza up to hearsay?"

The behemoth shrunk, quite the feat for a man of his size. "Also," Zarbon chimed in. "It's doubtful that the entire planet is wasteland, so keep an eye out for forests, mountains, or any other rich ecosystem. At the very least, we should be able to find a few water sources." He **did** think asking their flighty friend would be a great deal easier, but he wouldn't even know where to begin to look.

"So what do we do now?" Asked Jeice, casting his gaze from Dodoria to Zarbon. "Just chill here all night? Won't we be tired by the time the sun comes up? And how long is a Ganggur night, anyway?"

"Approximately 12 hours of darkness," the blue one replied.

"Maybe it'd be better if we went back under the sleep… Or we could just make our pace now, get a head start on whatever place we'll be scouting."

Recoom waved his hand, a negative indicator. "Nah, if we flew over somethin' interesting, we'd never know it." Breathing sharply through his nose, the behemoth rose to stand. "Welllllll… I'm gonna scope out the wall for a while. You guys can do what you want till morning."

"What's with you and that wall, 'coom?" Jeice asked, mid-rise.

He replied over his shoulder, wearing a little grin. "Call it feeling a bit nostalgic." Jeice elicited a little 'ah' in understanding. From what he remembered, the most important history events of the behemoths of Kyokutair were told through carvings or some other visual aid instead of being written or logged, even though theirs was an advanced society, or had been, rather. "Guess I'll head back over to the ship and grab the rations. Back in a flash."

The orange one blasted off to their point of arrival. Dodoria and Zarbon exchanged glances, briefly, before the spiky one rolled over onto his side, his back to the Azureman. "We'll start at first rise. G'night for now."

Zarbon blinked in disbelief, but sure enough, a few minutes later, the ogre's slight snoring came within earshot. Sighing, he resigned himself to a meditation session, far from Dodoria's noise. He parked himself in a spot along the wall, first detaching his cape for fear of clay stains, a vain effort in this light-colored clothing's nightmare. Settling, he repeated his corps' mantra from that time ago:

_I am the man and I am the beast_

_Pace the reason and pace the fang_

_Take what is and what will be_

_And let the suns fuel both souls_

* * *

The night had not grew as cold as Recoom thought it might, a fortunate case. Still, he felt sluggish from the lack of adequate warmth and sincerely wished he **had** opted for the full body suit. Goldeneye had only just awoke, surprised and a little embarrassed that he had fallen asleep and stayed that way during meditation. He cracked his neck, stiff from the night's rest. What **had** he slept on? He looked behind him and remembered.

"Oh. Right."

The mysterious wall… He thought briefly that it could have been a marker for the planet's median, but that seemed unlikely. Prick-ears had said it acted as some sort of border, but to what? He cast his gaze to the others, still sleeping soundly. It seemed they had all opted to bear the night outdoors instead of sending for the pods. Dodoria suddenly growled in his sleep, extending his arms as though trying to catch something. Zarbon shook his head, not really caring to know what ogres dreamt. "Probably chasing squirrels…" It ended up a partial laugh.

"Ahhh, so even de rainbow men can laugh…"

He spun around. Grinning and glassy-eyed, the Gangurr returned, this time trailing circles in the dirt with a stick. Zarbon's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. Just how many times was this scraggly creature going to make a fool out of him? "What's your name, Gangurr?" He demanded more than asked.

"Dat's somethin' I don't be givin' so freely." He blinked, a bit taken aback by its frankness. "But," it continued. "You can be givin' me a name, if ya want."

"Then, why don't I just call you Prick-ears?"

The creature grinned. "A fine name." Prick-ears motioned for Zarbon to sit. "I feel dere be things dat be needin' some discussion," he began, his familiar grin dropping to a stony, serious face that Zarbon wasn't sure belonged there. "Dere be a great many things ya seen in yer years, but I tellin' ya, I gonna have more sight dan ya ever will, " he turned his stick to Zarbon menacingly. "**Frog prince**…"

The Azureman jerked back a bit, surprised. He quickly regained his composure, though, and narrowed his eyes. "…I don't think I like the name you've given me."

"What? It ain't de truth?"

He just crossed his arms and remained silent. "As I was sayin'," Prick-ears continued, "We be needin' to discuss a few things, you an' I. Mainly, de dreamin' ya stole from me…"

Zarbon looked genuinely confused. "What are you talking about? I didn't steal anything."

"Oh, no?" He gestured to the Azureman's right leg. "You be keepin' somethin' of mine dere." Goldeneye patted down the leg in question, revealing the grinning fetish. "You like it?" Asked Prick-ears.

"It's nice. I wouldn't have taken it if I didn't think so." He took a last little look, and hesitantly extended his hand to return the fetish to its rightful owner. Prick-ears simply waived his hand in decline.

"I will let ya hold onto mah dreamin' as a boon, Azurekin. I will even let de other rainbow men have some. But have a care on it. This place, you can't be dreamin' in dis place. Dis place be for Gangurr. Ya got no dreamin' here. De place for ya…" The Ganggur paused, contemplative. "Welllll, when ya find it, den you'll know. But for now, relax……"

Prick-ears waved his hand in front of Zarbon, each finger leaving streaks of light behind in their movement. Those streaks of light then broke down into tiny, tiny sparkles, which bolted toward the Azureman before he had a chance to react.

* * *

Suddenly, he found his sight bombarded by a powerfully bright white light. His eyes hurt, that was his immediate thought. He shielded his eyes from the sheer brightness of his surroundings, blinking a bit to allow for a little vision. Between blinks, he was able to detect the boundaries of the light, both blinding and beautiful. In a daze, he took a step forward, only to plunk his foot into shin-deep water. He looked down to find that he was without boots. Upon further inspection, he found that he was completely without clothes. He was only mildly surprised by the discovery, though. When his eyes finally did adjust, they grew wide as his mouth was open.

What he thought were boundaries of the light were in fact shining pools of water. His land… **His** land… It was the glorious marshland, the Land of Mirrored Lakes. The reptile in him welcomed the heat of the twin suns, making their pace over the horizon. And suddenly, he **was** a reptile. It came without the bulging and the gurgling and the **pain**, but somehow, he knew he was his other self. And then, he just felt… a sense of deep, deep ugliness, something beyond the flesh.

It felt the same as **his** smile…

* * *

One eye opened, then the next. The nictitating membrane in his left eye was slow to retract, and he absently wondered if he had gotten dust in his eye sometime during Prick-ears's… whatever it was... Zarbon rose to flush his eye in the ponds when he realized that it had only been a dream. He couldn't help feeling a little disappointed. It had been a nice experience, though, and he would have loved for it to have lasted just a bit longer, just a little more time to live in a world that once was his. He solemnly closed his eyes, trying to recapture that dreamland.

He had scarcely done so when the others began to stir. Recoom was the first to rise, yawning and stretching and smacking his lips. After a good armpit scratching, he looked to Jeice with droopy eyes. The Kaijin seemed content to stay curled in a pillow of his downy hair, but the day had already begun. He gave him a fine smack in the head. "Hey, get up."

Jeice woke with an abrupt snort, his eyes opening out of sync in Zarbonian fashion. "Uh..? Wha..?"

"Get up," Recoom reiterated. "It's morning."

"Oh……" The Kaijin rolled to a sitting position and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He looked about the area, still heavy-eyed, until he spied his box of rations and set about a jerky-like food inside. He took quiet, careful bites hand kept his gaze low. The behemoth wondered if he had switched places with Berter sometime during the nights. Shaking his head, he joined Jeice in a jerky breakfast.

Zarbon rose, too. He would eat later, when his blood warmed up enough. He debated whether to wake Dodoria, as he **was** finding him a bit more palatable when he was unconscious… But they had a long day ahead of them and the earlier the start, the better. Sighing, he walked over to the ogre, who had most of his face buried in the dirt at this point, and nudged his helmeted head somewhat roughly with his foot. "Get up, you clod," Zarbon hissed. "If you drool on my boot, so **help** you…"

A few seconds later, Dodoria slapped the size 9 away, growling into his growing awareness. Zarbon hid a devious little smirk with his hand. His boot had left a dusty print on the ogre's fat face. If he were a little more polite, he probably would have made him aware of it, but for now, he was content to make Dodoria appear stupider than usual. The Azureman went back to the area of his night's stay to gather up his cape, re-fastening it to the back of his battle jacket. He hoped they would come across a freshwater source that he might be able to wash his face, further wishing he could shake the sluggishness from himself.

His wish was granted. Sunrise galloped steadily toward them. He would be alright in about 20 minutes or so with just a bit of sunbathing. It always felt great, basking in the light, but he often wished being cold-blooded wasn't such an inconvenience. Zarbon shivered in delight as the first rays hit, and imagined being in his homeland once again. He faced the sun with his palms turned outward in the traditional Azurekin way. He almost began to pray before he caught himself. It just wouldn't do to bear both souls to a single sun. But to be that comfortable… He wondered just what other tricks Prick-ears had up his tattered sleeve.

"What are you doing?"

He opened one eye to see Jeice looking up at him, genuinely curious. "Just enjoying a bit of sun," he replied, corners of his mouth upturned slightly. The Kaijin blinked, then removed his gloves, revealing hands a shade or two lighter than the rest of him. Inhaling deeply through his nose, the Kaijin mimicked Zarbon's pose, outturned hands and eyes shut. The only difference was an ear-to-ear grin of pure enjoyment plastered on his face. Zarbon gave out a mere whisper of a laugh and somehow, found himself enjoying the company, even if said company **didn't** understand the significance.

"What are you guys doing?"

The Azureman opened one eye; the Kaijin opened two. Next came Recoom, whose face said not so much genuine curiosity as much as it said genuinely not knowing what the hell was going on. "Just enjoying some sun, mate," Jeice replied, smiling. "Try it."

The behemoth raised a brow, then cast a gaze to his fellow Ginyu, then to Zarbon. He didn't really want to bring himself to join Pantywaist, but it had been a while since he had been under natural light. Taking a stance beside Jeice, Recoom also turned his palms outward and pulled his eyes shut , a little irritated. The warmth of the sun improved his disposition, though, and soon his furrow was replaced with a smile of contentment. Zarbon peeked at the two from the corner of his eye, the fools grinning the day away, and had to grin a little himself. It took him back to his days as a platoon captain, when he and his officers would pray together at first light. If only…

"I hate to interrupt the tanning session, ladies…"

Three pairs of eyes opened at that, all meeting a very cross pink ogre. "But," he continued. "We've got an entire planet to cover, and I, for one, don't want to spend four days here without anything to show for it." He extended a portly claw and gestured for Recoom to join him. "Behemoth, let's go."

Recoom snorted in insolence, but pushed Dodoria's high horse aside to meet him. "Actually," Zarbon stepped in front of the behemoth. " I'll take him this time. You can have Jeice."

"'Jeice'?" Spikes snarled in disgust. "Since when are we on a first-name basis with these Ginyu rejects?"

The ginger-haired humanoid walked over to Dodoria and bent so that their faces were barely apart. "Since you remembered either one of us can blast you to hell ten times over, then go out for ice cream afterwards and laugh about it." He growled, narrowing his eyes dramatically, then stood to his full height, dwarfing the ogre and living up to his race standard. "My name is Recoom. **Remember it**. Understand?"

It was difficult, he found, to look tough when a guy twice his height and power level was staring down at him, obviously a tad miffed. At best, Dodoria could only turn away in a frump, his pride bashed a bit. Confident his point was made, Recoom turned his nose up at the ogre and made his way to Zarbon's side. Jeice simply shrugged and sided with Dodoria.

"Well, anyway," the Azureman began. "We'll head west to the end of the continent, then make our way north. You guys should probably finish up here then head south. We won't finish in a day, so bring your rations."

The Kaijin nodded in understanding. The ogre just groused. "Let's meet back at this point in 50 hours. We're off." And so, the teams decided, the four set out once again to uncover what mysteries lay on Ganggur, little realizing just what an undertaking that would be…


End file.
